The Proper Way to Clean and Sanitize Medical and Dental Offices

Many physicians and dentists don't have the time or the staff to clean their own offices. Instead, they hire an individual to clean the office for them, or they contract with a cleaning service that sends people to the office to clean it . While getting a job to clean a healthcare office is often easy for someone with prior cleaning experience, it's important to know correctly how to clean a medical and dental office.

Learn about the job. Prior to cleaning the office the first time, walk through the facility with your contact person for the job. While the doctor may be paying you, a nurse or administrative assistant may actually be your contact person since dentists and doctors are very busy. Find out what tasks you are expected to complete as well as how often you are expected to clean the office. Determine if all cleaning supplies are provided or you must provide them yourself.

Empty the trash. Learn where all the trash cans are located in a medical or dental office. Most have them in each exam room as well as the bathroom and office areas. Ask in advance about disposable of sharps containers and trash cans with blood. Many doctors and dentists contract with a special company to collect and dispose of these materials, so when cleaning you should leave them alone unless advised differently.

Perform basic cleaning. Vacuum or sweep the waiting room, office areas, exam rooms, hallways and any other areas within the medical or dental office. Dust regularly to prevent from collecting on bookshelves and tables since some clients entering a medical or dental office may be allergic to dust. Sanitize common surfaces such as phones, door knobs, countertops, etc. since many people visiting a doctor's office suffer from colds and flu.

Clean the bathroom. Scrub the toilet and wipe down the sink. Refill the toilet paper and paper towels people use to dry their hands after using the restroom. Pick up any loose pieces of toilet paper or paper towels on the floor and dispose of it in the trash. Sweep and mop the bathroom floor. Refill the soap dispenser if it is running low. Clean the mirror to remove any fingerprints or water spots.

Perform seasonal cleaning. Ask your contact about anything you need to clean periodically or on a seasonal basis. This could include waxing floors or washing windows once a month as well as steam cleaning carpet every six months or one year. Negotiate the cost of these projects in advance to ensure you are being adequately compensated for these special projects since they aren't included in your regular pay.

**Find out if your state offers a professional cleaning association that you can join to stay current on the latest news and information about the cleaning field. For example, Wisconsin offers the Association of Wisconsin Cleaning Contractors.